Abstract [en]

Fas 3 is a controversial part of the Swedish labor market policy and the active labor market program called Jobb- och utvecklingsgarantin. The purpose of Fas 3 is to get long-term unemployed back on the active labor market and into employment.

With help from qualitative methods, the purpose of this study is to explore the Swedish labor market program Fas 3. Based on the perspective of the unemployed and labor market policy reasoning about Fas 3 and Jobb- och utvecklingsgarantin; this study will relate to the following question formulations:

Which are the main components regarding reasoning about labor and unemployment in labor market policies and how is it expressed by the Fas 3 participants?

How do the Fas 3 participants describe the experience of participating in Fas 3?

How do the labor market policy and the participants in Fas 3 view the effectiveness of Fas 3 for future employment opportunities?

The results of this study is based on the analysis of three semi structured interviews with Fas 3 participants, as well as text analysis of stories about Fas 3 published in media by Fas 3 participants. Political documents have been analyzed and will be related to the participants’ stories. The results show that the unemployed seem to feel more anxiety than security in Fas 3, which could depend on the fact that they have to battle the extensive demands that the authorities puts on them. The powerlessness before the authorities is an overall feeling amongst the Fas 3 participants, and the feeling of not being able to have control over their own situation is distinct.